Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACXGROUND OF T~E INV~NTION
This invention relates to a dispensing machine and in
particular to a machine adapted for dispensing video cassette~
intended to be used by borrowers using the services of a
particular video outlet.
Vending machines are well known in the prior art, these
generally being of the coin-operated type in which the user of the
machine inserts a coin to receive a commodity such as a pack of
cigarettes, cool drinks or the like. Also well known in the prior
art is the new electronic banking system where a client of a
particular bank inserts a card which actuates a device to deliver
a predetermined or chosen amount of money. Documented prior art
of which the applicant is aware includes the following:
United States patent 4,179,064 (Yoshioka et al) discloses
a memory holder insertable in an opening of a vending machine. On
selection of the appropriate buttons merchandise is discharged
from an opening and the information concerning the selected
merchandise is transmitted to the memory holder which is readable
by an accounting machines which computes the value o~ the
merchandise~
In United States patents 4,297,569 and 4,436,993 (Flies)
data storage devices shaped as keys are described. These key
devices store information which is readable by the device into
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which the keys are inserted, and are also capable of taking in new
information.
United States patent 4,458,802 (McIver et al) discloses a
method and apparatus for renting video cassettes. A token
presented by a customer is retained by the apparatus until the
rented cassettes are returned. Alternately, an accounting syste.n
which may be linked to a central computer is envisaged for use
with this apparatus. The apparatus comprises a carousel mechanism
with a number of compar~ments, each of which holds a video
cassette. The cassettes bear an individual code and when a
cassette is returned, the apparatus reads the code and identifies
the ~assette before returning it to its own particular
compartment.
United States patents 4,414,467 and 4,300,040 (Gould et
al~ describe video cassette vending machines in which a terminal
enables a card hol.der to preview cassettes prior to ordering a
cassette.
United States patent 4,020,326 (Coulthurst) describes
token control e~uipment in wh.~ch informatlon about u~e o a token
is recorded. The recorded lnformatlon i~ continually updated to
keep track of use o the token.
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SU~MAXY OF T~ INVENT~O~
_
In one broad aspect, the present invention relates to an
apparatus for dispensing video cassettes and other articles,
comprising: a cabinet having a plurality of compartments for
storing and dispensing video cassettes and other articles, said
cabinet arranged so that all of said plurality of compartments may
be simultaneously viewed by a customer; each compartment having a~
individual, visually transparent and lockable door panel; first
sensing means with each compartment for detecting the presence of
an electrically conductive portion of a video cassette or other
article which has been correctly inserted therein; means with each
compartment for independently controlling the opening of the
corresponding compartment door panel; second sensing means with
each compartment for detecting when the corresponding compartment
door panel is open; compartment selection means operable by a
customer for providing an electronic indication representative of
a selected compartment; means for providing an electronic
indication representative of a customer payment for a rental or
purchase of the video cassette or other article located in the
selected compartment; and electronic circuit means for receiving
inputs from said Pirst and second sen~ln~ mean~, ~aid compartment
selection means and said customer payment indication meanq and for
selectively operating said compartment door panel opening means
for the selected compartment to open only that door panel and
permit access by the customer only to the selected compartment,
but only if a video cassette or other article having a correct
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electronically conductive portion is located therei.n as determined
by said first sensing means, and only if the door panel for said
selected compartment is previously closed as determined by said
second sensing means.
In another broad aspect, the present invention relates ~o
an apparatus for dispensing video cassettes and other articles,
comprising: a cabinet having a plurality of compartments for
storing and dispensing video cassettes and other articles, said
compartments arranged in said cabinet in rows and columns so that
the video cassettes or other articles in all of said compartments
may be perused ~imultaneously by a customer located in front of
said cabinet; each compartment having a separate visually
transparent, outwardly-facing and lockable door panel along the
front of said cabinet; and electronic sensor located along an
inside wall of each compartment for detecting the presence of a
video cassette or other article which has been correct].y ir.serted
therein; a solenoid located within each compartment for opening
the corresponding door panel to permit access to the corresponding
compartment responsive to an electrical input; a microswitch with
each compartment for detecting when the corre~pondincJ door panel
ls opened; a ke~pad alon~ the Eront face o sflld cabinet eor
receiving a customer input representative of a predetermined
compartment selected by the customer, and for providing an
electrical indication representative thereof; an aperture along
the front face of said cabinet and a related payment circuit
associated with said aperture for receiving a customer payment
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token for a rental or purchase of the video cassette or other
article located in said selected compartment and providing an
electronic indication representative of payment; an electronic
signal processing circuit in said cabinet for receiving and
processing inputs from said electronic sensor, said microswitch,
said keypad and said payment circuit for selectively operating
said compartment door panel opening means for said selected
compartment to only open that door panel and permit access by the
customer only to said selected compartment, but only if a video
cassette or other article is porperly located therein as
determined by said electronic sensor, and only if the door panel
of said selected compartment is previously closed as determined by
said microswitch; and means for retaining said customer payment
token in said aperture after removal of the video cassette or
other article from said selected compartment until the customer
has properly closed the open door panel for said selected
compartment, as determined by the microswitch at said selected
compartment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
~n embodiment of the lnvcntlon ~ descril~ed by way of
example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a front view of a video cassette dispensing
machine according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a compartment of the
cabinet of Figure l;
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Figure 3 is a perspectiYe view of a data storage token or
key suitable for use with the dispensing machine of Figure l;
Figure 4 is a block diagram of electronic processing
circuitry for the machine of Figure l;
Figure 5 is a block diagram of an electronic control
circuit for a compartment of the machine of Figure l; and
Figure 6 is a diagram of a data bus between the
compartments and the processing circuitry.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED E~BODIMENT
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Referring to the drawings a video cassette vending
machine 10 comprises a free standing cabinet 12 having a key
reader with an insertion aperture 14 for receiving a data storage
token or key 16. The cabinet 12 has an upper section divided into
a plurality of compartments 18 which are arranged in vertical and
horizontal rows. As seen in Figure 2 each compartment 18 has a
transparent door 20 which i5 hinged at a hinge pin 22 and adapted
to be locked and unlocked by a solenoid-operated latch 24. Two
sensor devices 26 and 28 are provided to sense the opening and
closing of the door 20 and the presence of a cassette
respectively. The sensor 26 i8 conveni~ntly ~ micro~wltch which
is mounted adjacent the door 20 so that closing of the door opens
the switch contacts and opening of the door closes the contacts.
The sensor 28 comprises a pair of spaced electrical contacts at
one side of the compartment 18. The contacts can be spring-loaded
and project into the compartment. A lower section oE the cabinet
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houses the key-receiving aperture 14 and a keypad 29. Adjacent
the keypad 29 on the front panel of the cabinet 12 is an
alphanumeric display 2 which provides information to prompt a user
of the vending machine~
The key receiving aperture 14 is provided with contacts
which make contact with complementary contacts on the shank of the
key 16 and which connect an electronic memory element in the key
16 to a mircroprocessor-based processing circuit 30 (Figure 4).
The processing circuit 30 is provided on a single circuit board
and includes a central processing unit (CPU) 32 with a clock 34, a
calendar chip 36, a read only memory (ROM) 38, a random access
memory (RAM) 40 with a back-up battery 42, three serial ports 44,
46 and 48, and three parallel ports 50, 52 and 54. The CPU 32 may
be Motorola 6809, the calendar 36 may be a Motorola 146818, the
ROM 38 may be in Intel 2764, the RAM 40 may be an Intel 6264, the
serial ports 44, 46, 48 may be Motorola's 6820's, and the parallel
ports 50l 52 and 54 may be Motorola 6850's.
Three input/output (I/O) interfaces 56, 58 and 60 connect
the processing circuit 30 to an optional RS 232-compatible
apparatus, an internal printer 64 and the circuitry controlling
the individual compartments 18, respectlvcly.
The alpha-numeric display 2 on the :Eascia of the machine
is connected to the processing circuit 30 via the parallel port~
50 and 52, while the key pad 29 is connected to the processing
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circuit 30 via the parallel port 50. The port 50 is shaLed by the
key pad and the display. The key receiving aperture 14 is
associated with a key information controller unit 62, which is
connected to the processing circuit 30 via the serial port 48.
The key information may be a "KEYTROLLER" Model KT 1400 made by
Datakey Inc.
Figure 5 shows electronic circuitry for controlling the
video cassette compartments. The compartments 18 are grouped into
"bins" of 8 compartments. Figure 5 shows the circuitry for
controlling one bin. The various components of a single
compartment only are shown in Figure 5, for clarity. The bin
control circuit comprises four 1 of 8 decoders 68, 70, 72 and 74.
The solenoids 76 of the door latches 24 are controlled by the
decoder 68. LEDs 78 adjacent to each compartment door are
controlled by the decoder 70. The state (open or closed) of the
micro switch sensors 26 of each compartment is detected via the
decoder 72, and the contacts of the cassette sensors 28 are
monitored via the decoder 74. The decoders 68 and 70 are selected
by a decoder 80, while the state of the sensors 26 and 28 is
conveyed via a multiplexer 82 from the decoder 72 and 74.
Figure 6 shows the sixteen bit system bus 66 in ~reater
detail. The bus carries primary address information, secondary
address information and bin data information. Twenty-four bins
(of eight compartments each) are provided, which are selected by
means of a primary address via a 1 of 32 decoder 84. The output
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of the decoder 84 is split into selection lines for bins 1 to 8, 9
to 16 and 17 to 24. ~ secondary address allows one of the eight
compartments in a selected bin to be selected. Part of the
secondary address selects the solenoid, LED, or the sensors 26 and
28 of a selected compartment. Three bits, labelled Yl, ~re
required to select a particular compartment in a selected bin.
Three further bits, Y2, select the solenoid, the LED or the sensor
28 of the selected compartment. The data from the sensors 26 and
28 of each compartment is fed to the multiplexer ~2, which
requires four bits of the system bus to convey the information
from the eight compartments of each bin.
The operation of the vending machine will now be
described. Between vending transactions, the machine waits in an
idle mode with the message "INSERT KEY AND TURN TO BEGIN
TRANSACTION". The user inserts his key 16 into the key receiving
aperture 1~ and turns it clockwise. The machine will illuminate a
"busy" light and displays the message "DO NOT REMOVE KEY WHILE
BUSY LIGHT IS FLASF~ING". Encoded on the key is a vending machine
identification number, a user personal identification number
(PIN), and the number of transaction units rematning on the key.
Once the key 16 has been ln~erted, the key ineormation controller
62 reads the information Erom the key and transmits it via the
serial port 48 to the processor circuit 30, interrupting the CPU
32 and initiating the transaction. If the key is valid for the
particular machine, that is, if the machine ID number on the key
matches the number of the particular machine, the user will be
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prompted with the display "ENTER YOUR SECRET CODE NUMBER". The
user enters his personal identification number (PIN), and the
machine will then display the message "PLEASE WAIT MACHINE IS
BUSY". The processor circuit compares the number entered with the
number read from the key. If the numbers correspond, the machine
will print on the internal printer 64 a transaction number, the
identification number, the time, date and the number of
transaction units remaining on the key.
The user will now be prompted to make a selection by
displaying "ARE YOU SELECTING A VIDEO YES/NO". If "YES" is typed
the machine will inform the user of the number of units remaining
on the key and prompts the user to select a compartment number.
The user can see the titles o~ the video cassettes through the
transparent compartment doors and can select the number of a
compartment corresponding to the video cassette he wishes to
borrow. The user enters that number and the LED 78 adjacent that
compartment will i:Lluminate. The machine will verify that a
cassette is in the selected compartment by means of the respective
sensor 28. The solenoid 76 is then energised, opening the
compartment door and allowing the user to remove the video
cassette. The display prompts the uGer with "REMOVE T~1E VIDEO AND
CLOSE PROPERLY". Once this has been done, the user is prompted
with "ARE YOU RETURNING A VIDEO YES/NO". By pressing the "NO"
button the use enters an e~it routine and is allowed to remove the
key after the number oE transaction units remaining on the key hs
been decremented.
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If the user wishes to return a video cassette, the
machine will open an empty compartment and prompt the user to
close the compartment door after the cassette has been inserted.
If a video cassette is not returned timeously, the key 16 can
either be debited accordingly at the next transaction, or
invalidated entirely.
The operating programme for the vending machine is
contained in the ROM 38. The RAM 40 is used to store data
temporarily during transactions.
Although a programme operated vending machine has been
described, it would be possible to simplify the operation of the
machine by using only hard-wired electronic circuitry.
Moreover, the present invention has been described and
illustrated with reference to embodiments utilizing a dedicated
key 16. It will be understood that key 16 may, without departing
from the spirit of the present invention, be replaced with a
credit card or bank card of the sort provided with a ma~netically
encoded strip on its reverse surEace. In 8uch an embodiment, key
receiving aperture 14 will be replaced with a card slot of
conventional design, and a modum will preferably be provided to
access a remote data processing location at which credit
authorization may be obtained after the user has identified
himself/herself with an individualized code. Alternatively, a
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credit card system can function without a modem, if a telephone
link-up is inpracticable.
It is to be understood that the examples described above
are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention. It i;
expected that numerous variants will be obvious to the person
skilled in the field of electronically operated vending machine
design, without any departure from the spirit of the present
invention. The appended claims, properly construed, form the only
limitation upon the scope of the present invention.
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